1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus that has a built-in heat generating component, and to a data processing apparatus that has a built-in heat generating component and performs data processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various types of apparatuses having a built-in component that generates heat when in use. Although some of them perform their intended function by generating heat, it is not desirable for the other apparatuses to generate heat by the built-in component. Thus, some techniques are devised to suppress rise in temperature of the apparatus due to heat generated by the built-in heat generating component. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-217343 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-55591 disclose that a heat sink and a heat radiating member is used to radiate heat generated by a power transistor, while Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-135073 discloses the structure that heat generated by a voice coil motor is conducted to a housing of a hard disc drive via heat radiating fins.
Additionally, another typical technique for suppressing heat is that a fan is provided in an apparatus to generate airflow, thereby cooling down a heat generating component. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-321287 discloses the structure in which heat generated by a heat generating component is conducted via a heat pipe to heat radiating fins. Airflow that is generated by rotation of a fan absorbs heat while passing through between the heat radiating fins and then warmed air is discharged from the apparatus.
Use of such a structure is widespread as it is effective in suppressing rise in temperature of a heat-generating component.
However, such a structure entails the following problems. Firstly, heat radiating fins are likely to be covered in dust at the inlet thereof, which blocks air flow and thus deteriorates cooling capacity thereof, resulting in rise in temperature of a heat-generating component. Consequently, this may disable normal operation of the heat-generating component and shorten the life of its peripheral components as well as the heat component. Secondly, even without such abnormal conditions, if an apparatus is configured to adjust cooling capacity by changing the speed of a fan, the increased speed of the fan for securing cooling capacity will make noise of the fan larger.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-321287 deals with the first problem, by providing a tilted portion formed at the inlet of the heat radiating fins, aiming at moving dust by causing dust to be carried by air flow from a fan along the tilted portion and discharged from the apparatus.
Although provision of the tilted portion may delay the time for the dust to be accumulated, this does not substantially solve the problem.
Additionally, a heat radiating member and a fan are typically disposed inside an apparatus while only an outlet, from which air passed through the heat radiating member is discharged, is exposed to be seen from outside. On the other hand, dust is accumulated at the inlet of the heat radiating member and thus, in order to remove accumulated dust, the apparatus must be disassembled, which is rather difficult to perform.